System, method and program product for predicting fleet reliability and maintaining a fleet of vehicles

• US 7,860,618 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Altschul, Roberto E., Langlet, Patrick J., Brandstetter, Jason C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby; Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US11/614,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20080154458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701 29- 36, 701 43- 45, 701/49, 705/7, 705/8, 705/35, 705/36
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A system, method and program product for maintaining fleet performance for a fleet of platforms, especially for a fleet of aircraft. Part removal data is contained in a maintenance database. A query is constructed for extracting part removal data from the maintenance database. Weibull analysis is applied to extracted part removal data. Exposed aircraft with parts being likely to fail within a given time period are identified from the Weibull analysis results. Overall part failure numbers are generated for each failing part. Inventory is checked to determine if sufficient spares are available to repair all expected failures. Any shortfalls may be covered. A risk report is generated for the fleet and for inventory. Each risk report highlights likely problems that may require immediate attention.

Claims

1. A method of maintaining fleet performance for a fleet of platforms, said method comprising the steps of:

a) querying a platform maintenance database for part removal data of parts in each platform;

b) performing Weibull analysis on said part removal data;

c) generating a risk report indicating platforms having a probability of failure above a selected threshold in a selected time window; and

d) generating an inventory risk report indicating current inventory exposures.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said fleet of platforms is a fleet of aircraft.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein the step (a) of querying said aircraft maintenance database comprises the steps of:

i) periodically applying a query to said aircraft maintenance database, said query being constructed to search for all removal events of a particular aircraft part; and

ii) extracting selected data for each identified removal event.

4. A method as in claim 3, wherein extracted said selected data includes aircraft serial number, component removal date, complaint text, maintenance action text, part number, and serial number.

5. A method as in claim 2, wherein the step (b) of performing Weibull analysis comprises the steps of:

i) generating survival curves for each of said parts;

ii) mapping said fleet of aircraft onto each survival curve; and

iii) recording a probability of failure for each part for each said aircraft.

6. A method as in claim 2, wherein each said risk report indicates all parts having a high probability of failure in each said aircraft and the step (c) of generating said risk report comprises the steps of:

i) assigning a priority to each said aircraft; and

ii) displaying said risk report.

7. A method as in claim 6, wherein each displayed said risk report is color coded by overall risk level for said each aircraft.

8. A method as in claim 2, wherein the step (c) of generating said inventory risk report comprises the steps of:

i) checking status of current inventory, said inventory risk report indicating results of checking said status; and

ii) displaying said inventory risk report.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein the step (i) of checking status comprises the steps of:

i) determining whether current inventory contains sufficient spare parts to replace any expected failing parts identified for indicated aircraft in step (c);

ii) ordering additional spares for any part identified as having insufficient spare parts in current inventory; and

iii) documenting current inventory for all said expected failing parts.

10. A method as in claim 1, wherein the inventory risk report comprises:

documented said current inventory; and

suggested current inventory levels for all said expected failing parts.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein each displayed said inventory risk report is color coded by overall risk level for said expected failing parts.

12. A computer program product for fleet performance optimization, said computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code stored thereon, that when loaded in a computer controls the computer in performing fleet performance optimization, said computer-readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code means for maintaining a platform maintenance database;

computer readable program code means for periodically extracting part removal data from said platform maintenance database;

computer readable program code means for performing Weibull analysis on extracted said part removal data; and

computer readable program code means for generating risk reports indicating platforms having a probability of failure above a selected threshold in a selected time window and current inventory spare shortfalls.

13. A computer program product for fleet performance optimization as in claim 12, wherein said fleet of platforms is a fleet of aircraft and said extracted part removal data includes aircraft serial number, component removal date, complaint text, maintenance action text, part number, and serial number.

14. A computer program product for fleet performance optimization as in claim 13, wherein computer readable program code means for performing Weibull analysis comprises:

computer readable program code means for generating survival curves for each of said parts;

computer readable program code means for mapping said fleet of aircraft onto each survival curve; and

computer readable program code means for recording a probability of failure for each part for each said aircraft.

15. A computer program product for fleet performance optimization as in claim 12, wherein computer readable program code means for generating risk reports comprises:

computer readable program code means for assigning a priority to each risk report entry; and

computer readable program code means for color coding entries for display by overall risk level.

16. A computer program product for fleet performance optimization as in claim 15, wherein computer readable program code means for generating risk reports comprises:

computer readable program code means for determining whether current inventory contains sufficient spare parts to replace any expected failing parts;

computer readable program code means for ordering additional spares for any identified shortfall; and

computer readable program code means for documenting current inventory for all said expected failing parts.

17. A system for maintaining a fleet of platforms, said system comprising:

a platform maintenance database;

means for entering a database query, said database query constructed to extract part removal data from said platform maintenance database;

means for periodically applying said database query to said platform maintenance database;

means for cleaning search results from application of said database query to said platform maintenance database;

means for performing Weibull analysis on extracted cleaned said search results;

means for generating risk reports indicating platforms having a probability of failure above a selected threshold in a selected time window and current inventory spare shortfalls; and

means for displaying said risk reports.

18. A system as in claim 17, wherein said fleet of platforms is a fleet of aircraft and said search results is part removal data and includes aircraft serial number, component removal date, complaint text, maintenance action text, part number, and serial number.

19. A system as in claim 18, wherein said means for performing Weibull analysis comprises:

means for generating survival curves for each of said parts;

means for mapping said fleet of aircraft onto each survival curve; and

means for recording a probability of failure for each part for each said aircraft.

20. A system as in claim 17, wherein said means for generating risk reports comprises:

means for assigning a priority to each risk report entry; and

means for color coding entries for display by overall risk level.

21. A system as in claim 20, wherein said means for generating risk reports comprises:

means for determining whether current inventory contains sufficient spare parts to replace any expected failing parts;

means for ordering additional spares for any identified shortfall; and

means for documenting current inventory for all said expected failing parts.